Fire Mage DPS Mythic+ Tips — The War Within (11.0.5)
In this guide, you will find tips and advice to tackle Mythic+ dungeons with your Fire Mage in World of Warcraft — The War Within (11.0.5).
Best Mythic+ Talents for Fire Mage in The War Within
Flamestrike based AoE versus Cleave based AoE builds
Disclaimer: Flamestrike based builds currently go out of mana if an encounter lasts longer than ~100 seconds. I expect this to get fixed very shortly after 11.0.5 launches, but good to keep in mind that the Flamestrike based build cannot be played on prolonged fights, like Mythic+ packs that live for a long time.
Fire has the option to choose between 3 main AoE builds:
- Mastery: Ignite Cleave Build;
- Flamestrike Hybrid AoE Build;
- Flamestrike + Living Bomb Pure AoE Build;
The Ignite based build never casts Flamestrike, and instead does its AoE damage by doing its single target rotation and spreading Mastery: Ignite. Due to this, it does better priority target damage, at the cost of some AoE damage. It also does better boss damage.
Both Flamestrike based builds, as the name implies, use Flamestrike as their Hot Streak spender, instead of Pyroblast, which comes at the cost of priority damage.
Within Flamestrike based builds, there are 2 variations. One that invests into all of the Living Bomb related points alongside Quickflame, and one that only takes Majesty of the Phoenix + Quickflame + Mark of the Fire Lord as AoE talents, allowing it to still take a significant amount of single-target talents.
The Flamestrike + Living Bomb based build does the most AoE damage at the cost of the most amount of single-target damage. The AoE damage is significantly better than any other Fire AoE build (10%+ over the pure Flamestrike build, and even more over the Mastery: Ignite build), but it also suffers the most on single-target damage.
The pure Flamestrike damage is a good middle ground. It does neither the best AoE damage, nor the best single-target, but it also does not do the worst at either.
Which build you go highly depends on the damage your group needs. Mastery: Ignite build for best single-target and priority damage, Living Bomb + Flamestrike build for best AoE but worst single-target, or the Flamestrike build for a middle ground. If you are unsure, I recommend the middle-ground Hybrid build.
Ignite Based AoE Build
Flamestrike Based AoE Build
Flexible Talents
- Swap between the Flamestrike and Mastery: Ignite based builds based on the type of damage profile you need for your current dungeon.
- Replace Mass Barrier for Mass Invisibility if your dungeon route requires the ability to skip enemy packs and have no one else providing the group with invisibility (a Rogue or using potions).
- Swap out of Remove Curse for any defensive talent of your choice when there are no Curses to dispel in the dungeon, you plan to do, or if someone else will handle the dispelling.
- Swap out of Spellsteal for any defensive talent of your choice when there are no buffs worth dispelling in the dungeon you plan to do.
- Take Ring of Frost or Ice Nova if you need any more crowd-control, at the cost of any of your defensives.
- Replace Blast Wave for any defensive talent of your choosing if you do not need the crowd-control.
- Opt out of Ice Cold (and the nodes leading to it) for any defensive nodes of your choosing if you need the immunity of Ice Block for the dungeon you are doing.
Dungeon Tips and Tricks for Fire Mage for The War Within Season 1
This section has Mage-specific tips and tricks that may not seem obvious, for all dungeons' bosses and mobs. Generic tips or guides for the dungeons are not included here.
Mythic+ Tips for Fire Mage in The War Within Season 1
Bosses
Anub'zekt
- Use Shimmer when targeted by Burrow Charge, or use Greater Invisibility to completely cancel the ability.
Ki'katal
- You can Blink to break the root of Grasping Blood. Shimmer can still be used while rooted to reposition, but it does not break the root.
- Use Alter Time before Cosmic Singularity goes out far away from the boss, and re-activate it when you get pulled close.
Trash
- You can Blink out of the root of Silken Restraints and Grasping Blood. Shimmer can still be used while rooted to reposition, but it does not break the root.
Bosses
Orator Krix'vizk
- Use Blazing Barrier right before Shadows of Doubt to reduce the duration.
Trash
- Silk Binding from Sureki Silkbinder can be completely negated by casting Blazing Barrier combined with Energized Barriers.
Bosses
Speaker Shadowcrown
- Shimmer can bug out quite often while on the ship. You can still use it, but do not leave it for last second movement as it is quite likely to fail and simply not move you at all. Arcane Orb often does not work either on the ship.
Rasha'nan
- Mages are pretty good at delivering Arathi Bombs due to good mobility, so be ready to pick some of these up, especially outside of DPS cooldowns.
Trash
- Tormenting Ray from Nightfall Ritualist can be cancelled completely via Greater Invisibility.
- Tormenting Beam from Nightfall Darkcaster can be cancelled completely via Greater Invisibility.
- Ensnaring Shadows from Nightfall Shadowmage can be dispelled via Blazing Barrier combined with Energized Barriers when on yourself, or Remove Curse when on anyone.
- You can Spellsteal Abyssal Howl from Nightfall Commander and Darkblade from Nightfall Curseblade.
Bosses
General Umbriss
- Greater Invisibility completely cancels Rock Spike by pressing it right as you get the circle.
Forgemaster Throngus
- Note that the orc is not the main boss and usually dies very quickly. The main boss ends when dragon reaches 50% health, so do not use big DPS cooldowns right before that.
Drahga Shadowburner
- Remove Curse should be used on Curse of Entropy.
Erudax, the Duke of Below
- Blink / Ice Block can remove Depth's Grasp if you happen to be running these spells.
Trash
- Remove Curse Enveloping Shadowflame from Twilight Warlock.
- Greater Invisibility completely cancels Corrupt from Faceless Corruptor.
Bosses
Blightbone
- Greater Invisibility makes Heaving Retch pick a new target. Careful using this as it might cause a party member to be caught off guard by the sudden target switch.
Amarth, The Harvester
- Use Supernova on the adds right as Final Harvest is ending to avoid the explosion.
Surgeon Stitchflesh
- Greater Invisibility cancels Morbid Fixation.
- Greater Invisibility makes Spew Disease pick a new target. Careful using this as it might cause a party member to be caught off guard by the sudden target switch.
- Shimmer can sometimes bug out on the platform so be careful relying on it too heavily.
Nalthor the Rimebinder
- Greater Invisibility makes Dark Exile pick a new target. Careful using this as it might cause a party member to be caught off guard by the sudden target switch.
Trash
- Spellsteal Dark Shroud from Nar'zudah quickly, especially if you have physical DPS in the group.
- Greater Invisibility makes Drain Fluids (cast by multiple enemies) pick a new target. Careful using this as it might cause a party member to be caught off guard by the sudden target switch.
- Greater Invisibility cancels Morbid Fixation from Separation Assistant.
Bosses
Ingra Maloch
- Greater Invisibility makes Heaving Retch pick a new target. Careful using this as it might cause a party member to be caught off guard by the sudden target switch.
Mistcaller
- Polymorph works on Freeze Tag to stop it from moving.
Trash
- Always be in melee range of Druid Spiteclaw to avoid getting 1-shot by Bloodletting.
- Dying Breath can be removed via Remove Curse if someone got hit.
- Greater Invisibility cancels Overgrowth from Tirnenn Villager.
- Greater Invisibility cancels Harvest Essence from Drust Harvester.
- Greater Invisibility cancels Expel from Mistveil Defender. Make sure to let the cast finish, and then activate Greater Invisibility.
- Spellsteal Bramblethorn Coat and Nourish the Forest (if not interrupted) from Mistveil Shaper/Tender
- You can spellsteal Stimulate Resistance from Spinemaw Staghorn, but since this is AoE, you will end up having to Spellsteal many times, so it is much better that your group interrupts it.
Bosses
Chopper Redhook
- If targeted by the fixate, the best solution is to simply kite the boss into a bomb. However, if for some reason you cannot do this, you can Greater Invisibility right before the end of the fixate to avoid the boss AoE damage.
Dread Captain Lockwood
- Greater Invisibility makes Fiery Ricochet pick a new target. Careful using this as it might cause a party member to be caught off guard by the sudden target switch.
Hadal Darkfathom
- Shimmer generally does not work properly on many parts of this fight. The planks and the final boat almost never work, but even on the first two platforms it can bug out, so do not rely on it too heavily.
Trash
- Spellsteal Watertight Shell from Irontide Waveshaper.
- Spellsteal Bolstering Shout from Ashvane Commander.
- You can Remove Curse Cursed Slash from Irontide Curseblade if your tank struggles with survivability. (or just to be nice to your tank... never hurts)
Bosses
Master Machinists
- Quickly Shimmer into Counterspell when the boss jumps away.
Trash
- Remove Curse Void Infection from Cursedheart Invader.
Affix Tips, Tricks and Management for Fire Mage in The War Within Season 1
This section has Mage-specific tips for dealing with the various affixes of Mythic+. If you want general guides for each of our Dungeons or Mythic+ in general, check out our dedicated page below.
Affix Guide for Fire Mage in The War Within
Ascendant Affix Management for Fire Mage
Blast Wave and Dragon's Breath / Supernova are great at handling this affix.
Oblivion Affix Management for Fire Mage
We do not have anything of particular use here, simply use your mobility tools as needed to soak these.
Devour Affix Management for Fire Mage
Remove Curse should be used to remove Void Rift.
Fire Mage Utility In Mythic+
The main reason to bring a Fire Mage to a Mythic+ group is for its damage, but aside from that, it also has some very valuable utility, which makes every Mythic+ group want at least one Mage:
- Arcane Intellect is a big boost for both the other caster DPS in the group, as well as additional healing for the healer.
- Time Warp is a required cooldown for any Mythic+ group.
- Remove Curse can be useful to dispel Curses in some dungeons.
- A Fire Mage can add a lot of crowd control in the form of Dragon's Breath, Polymorph, Blast Wave, Ice Nova, Ring of Frost, or even Mass Slow.
- Spellsteal can be useful in some dungeons to remove dangerous buffs from enemy targets. Sometimes, it can also be used as a big DPS boost for the Arcane Mage by Spellstealing beneficial buffs that increase your damage.
- Mass Barrier can be brought as a decent defensive cooldown for the group.
- Mass Invisibility can be very useful to skip certain packs.
Changelog
- 21 Oct. 2024: Updated talents and split viable talents up into 3 different builds. Also added dungeon specific tips.
- 02 Oct. 2024: Updated Flamestrike vs Ignite choice to further emphasize that Flamestrike does more overall DPS.
- 24 Sep. 2024: Added Flamestrike based aoe builds now that it is more viable due to the latest buffs
- 09 Sep. 2024: Updated for TWW Season 1.
- 07 May 2024: Reviewed for 10.2.7.
- 22 Apr. 2024: Updated best talents based on Season 4 changes.
- 19 Mar. 2024: Updated for Patch 10.2.6., splitting up the different M+ builds into separate boxes so they take up less space and can be viewed more easily.
- 09 Mar. 2024: Updated suggested Mythic+ talents slightly, and added more information on picking between Ignite vs Flamestrike builds.
- 15 Jan. 2024: Reviewed for Patch 10.2.5.
- 06 Nov. 2023: Updated talents for 10.2.
- 04 Sep. 2023: Reviewed for Patch 10.1.7
- 01 Aug. 2023: Updated talent choice between improved scorch and critical mass instead of meteor.
- 10 Jul. 2023: Updated talents suggestions, rotation and utility for after the 10.1.5 Fire rework.
- 12 Jun. 2023: Fix talent import string.
- 01 May 2023: Updated talents based on new optimal talents and removed mentions to the Flamestrike build as it is now too behind to consider, and removed mentions about thundering.
- 20 Mar. 2023: Reviewed for Patch 10.0.7 and provided some small phrasing tweaks.
- 24 Jan. 2023: Reviewed for Patch 10.0.5.
- 11 Dec. 2022: Reviewed for Dragonflight Season 1.
- 28 Nov. 2022: Updated for Dragonflight launch.
- 24 Oct. 2022: Updated for Dragonflight pre-patch.
More Mage Guides
Guides from Other Classes
This guide has been written by Dutchmagoz. Dutchmagoz is a Mythic raider in one of the top raiding guilds, Turtles and the owner of the Mage Discord server, Altered Time, where he is involved in all things Mage, and you can reach out to him directly for feedback or questions about the guide.
- War Within and Classic Weekly Hotfix Summary: November 11th – 17th
- Not Even a Sanctuary Can Help You: Doomwalker Rampaging Through Anniversary Event Grounds
- The Most Popular Specializations in Mythic+ in Patch 11.0.5
- Is a Legion Remix on the Horizon? Ion Hazzikostas Hints at Possibilities
- Player Completes Anniversary Quest in Record 21.6 Seconds—Here’s the Trick!
- Don’t Waste Your Pots: the Ultimate Tempered Potion-Popping Macro:
- A Promotion Nightmare: The Growing Title and Queue for the Guest Relations Manager Is Getting Out of Hand!
- Blizzard Talks WoW’s Future: Player Housing, Undermine(d) Patch, and More in Windows Central Interview